The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-08-18
The Great Georgian.
One of the most remarkable men that

One of the most remarkable men that
have lived and died in the South was
undoubtedly Robert Toombs, the great
Georgian, a man of genius and of a
sterling individuality that he maintained
to the last. The Louisville Courier.
Journal gives some interesting reminis.
censes of Toombs, of special interest to
us in South Carolina, as follows:
"The first evidence of the coming
power of this remarkable man was ex-
hibited at Wellington, small village in
Abbeville District (as the present coun-
ties were then called), South Carolina.
General George McDuflie, the only rep.
resentatiye of Demosthenes in this coun-
try since Patrick Henry, lived near there.
NIcDuf1ie was harnessed lightning. He
forged the chain of logic at white heat.
He was the most nervous, impassioned
and thrilling tribune Of the people of
that day. He demonstrated the political
problems as Euclid did geometry, while
foaming at the mouth and screaming like
a painted Greek Indian. He had mar
ried the only daughter of Dick Singleton,
the celebrated millionaire turfnan and
rice planter, and he owned four hundred
slaves and made eight hundred bales of
cotton year. He had been q member
of Congress, Governor of South Carolina,
and was afterwards United States Senator.
The people, before making up their
minds on any political question, would
say: Mr.. McDuffie is going 10 speak at
Morrow's old field two weeks from now,
and I will wait till l hear him. and
there thev would come forty and fifty
miles, and .amp out the night before to
hear him, aud his speech would decide
the politics of the entire country once a
year. On this Wellington occasion it
was said that the everlasting ,mouthed
Bob Toombs was coming over to meet
him. Four thousand people we're there
when that rash young Georgian crossed
the Savannah to meet the lion in bis den,
to beard the Douglas in his halls.
Toombs rode horse, and it was remark.
ed that his shirt bosom was stained with
tobacco juice. Yet he was one of the
handsomest men that ever had the seal
of genius on his brow. His head was
round as the celestial globe. His abun-
dant, straight, black hair hung in profu-
sion over his ample, marble forehead.
He had as many teeth as shark, and
they were whittier than ivory. His eyes
were black rs death and bigger than an
ox's. His step was as graceful as the
wild cats, and yet be weighed two hun
dred pounds. His presence captivated
even the idolators of George McDuflie.
He bounded into the arena like black
named Numidian lion from the unknown
deserts of middle Georgia, to reply to the
Olympian Jupiter of the up country of
the proud Palmetto State. 1t was the
most memorable overthrow that McDuflie
ever sustained. This was in the Harrison.
Van Buren election of 1910. His argu.
men!, his invective, his over bearing
torrent of irreverent denunciation, is a
tradition in that country even now.
McDuffie said: I have heard John Ran.
dolph, of Roanoke, and met Tristan
Burgess, of Rhode Island, but this wild
Georgian is the Mirabeau of this age.
After that South Carolina admitted that
Georgia was something more than the
refuge of South Carolina fugitives from
justice. This was the beginning of
Toombs's immortal Southern fame.
"Since the recent death of ex Senator
r. NJ. T. Hunter, of Virginia, Senator
Reagan, of Texas, and Ex-Governor T.
II. Watts, of Alabama, are the only
surviving members of Mr.. Dayis's cabi-
net. Reagan was Postmaster General
and Watts Attorney General. At Mont
gomery, Ala, there was secret session
of the cabinet to see whether we should
lombard Fort Sumter. Toombs WAS then
Secretary of State and was regarded as
the most rash, headstrong and violent
man in the Confederacy. While in the
presence of Mr.. Davis, the balance of the
cabinet gave their opinion ia favor of the
bombardment, Mr.. Tooms was, as was his
custom, pacing the floor. When it came
his turn to express his opinion, to the
amazement of all he vehemcntly opposed
the attack, and made one of the most
remarkable speeches of all his life in
opposition to it. He said it would be the
doom of the Confederacy. He said T:
Let Charleston go. Give up Sumter.
Let it be provisioned, but never explode
the volcano that is under our feet He
said it was suicide and madness and
would lose us every friend in all the
North, and exhibited all bis magnificent
powers in opposition 10 the attack. He
said: Mr.. President you will wantonly
strike hornets nest that fills the North
from ocean to ocean, and legions, now
quiet, will swarm out to sting us to death.
1t is unnecessary; it puts lis in the wrong ;
it is fatal And so it was. Toombs was
the wisest and the greatest of all the
statesmen of the Southern Confcleracy."